


Victoire Weasley and the Birthday she never really wanted

by alice2127



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts, Hurt, May 2nd, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Pride, Realisation, memorial service
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:08:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23972767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alice2127/pseuds/alice2127
Summary: May 2nd was never a happy day for Victoire Weasley. Even if it was her birthday.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley
Kudos: 8





	Victoire Weasley and the Birthday she never really wanted

2nd May 2014

2nd May. A day of reflecting. But on a sunny day in 2000, Victoire Weasley was born. When she was a child, everyone made sure they celebrated her birthday despite the forced smiles on their faces. But then she learnt why they plastered forced smiles onto their faces.

Victoire understood why and she never questioned anyone about it. Now she was at Hogwarts, she would meet up with her family in the Great Hall before they would all head towards the Quidditch Pitch where the ceremony would take place.

“Happy birthday Victoire!” Caroline, Victoire’s friend said in their dormitory.

“Yeah, happy birthday,” Victoire muttered as she pulled on her shoes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Everything, today is not a happy day despite it being my birthday. It’s a day of remembering those who died. Nothing about today is good.” Victoire sighed.

“But today’s your birthday! And that’s something that should be celebrated. Come on let’s go down to the Great Hall.” Caroline said pulling Victoire out of their dormitory.

The two girls walked down towards the Great Hall where the place was bustling with people. Victoire had learnt this was the place where those who had died laid and where those who were injured were treated. Images of Teddy’s parents and her Uncle Fred flashed in her mind. She might not have met them but she could just picture them lying peacefully under the moonlight.

The two girls ate breakfast talking idly. Once the food had magically disappeared everyone headed off to lessons. Even though it was the anniversary, lessons still went ahead as normal except the last lesson which would not go ahead so the grounds could be set up for the ceremony. Students were expected to stay in their common rooms whilst everything was set up. 

The day passed by very quickly and soon it was an hour to go until the ceremony. Victoire met up with Dominique and Teddy before they headed down to the Great Hall to meet up with their family.

“Happy birthday Vic. I know how much you like Bertie Bots so I bought you some.” Teddy smiled handing Victoire the box.

“Thanks Teddy.” Victoire smiled.

“Are you ok?” 

“I should be asking you that.” 

“It’s your birthday. Despite what day it falls on, it should be celebrated.” Teddy said.

“Teddy it’s the day you-“

“Lost my parents yeah I know. But the longer I think about it, the more I drive myself mad. They wouldn’t want me to be sad all the time. They’d want me to be happy. Today is the only day I feel sad and then the next day I have the biggest smile on my face.” Teddy said.

“It’s not just that. Everyone puts a smile on their face but the pain is clearly behind it. I don’t blame them of course but it’s just tough to see.”

“They always say it gets easier the older it gets. This was always going to be tough but remember, you are the reason why there was light at the end of the tunnel. And it’s not just you. They were fighting for a better world for all of us. I don’t know if you know this but your birth helped everyone move forward.”

Victoire listened to Teddy’s words. She knew he was right. All those who took part in the Battle had done so, so a new generation could grow up in a peaceful world. Even though around 50 people had died in the battle, Victoire understood that they didn’t die in vain.

As they entered the Great Hall, Victoire spotted her family and made her way over to them.

“Happy birthday sweetheart.” Fleur said hugging Victoire. She handed her a large bag.

“What’s this?” Victoire said looking inside the bag.

“Your birthday presents. We thought you might like to open them now.” Bill replied.

“No thanks. I’ll open them later.” Victoire said.

“Vic are you alright?” Bill asked her.

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s just another anniversary.” Victoire shrugged.

“It’s your birthday Victoire. A day to celebrate.”

“A day that will forever be overshadowed by the Battle of Hogwarts. It’s ok you don’t have to force the smiles on your faces. I’m going to take these up to my dormitory.” Victoire said.

Various other family members wished her a happy birthday but she didn’t acknowledge them, instead she continued walking towards the doors of the Great Hall. She knew she was going to get a telling off from her mother about that but at that moment she didn’t care. She was just fed up. Fed up of people pretending they were happy when they weren’t just for her sake. 

Victoire threw her bag of presents on her bed. She hadn’t realised a tear had slipped down her cheek. She furiously wiped away the tear. That was how much worth her birthday was. It was never a happy day despite everyone telling her it was. Even Teddy Lupin couldn’t convince her. The boy who had been orphaned because of the Battle. Even his words weren’t enough to make her feel better.

Making sure she looked presentable, she made her way back to the Great Hall. Her parents didn’t question her absence. They look distracted, Victoire thought as they made their way to the ceremony. There were hundreds of rows of chairs and a big podium stood on a stage at the front.

Victoire didn’t pay much attention to the ceremony. Her mind kept drifting to the Black Lake in the distance. The last few ceremonies she had given them all her attention but this one hadn’t really crossed her mind. Victoire had realised it was the same every year. She could hear the soft sobs coming from her family and others around her but her brain blanked them out. This was always how it was on her birthday. Nothing would change.

Victoire was pulled out of her thoughts by everyone getting up out of their seats and heading back towards the Great Hall. She followed her family and sat down at one of the tables in the Hall.

“Vic are you sure you’re alright?” Fleur sat down next to her.

“I’m fine Mama.”

“Why don’t you get your presents? We can watch you open them.” Fleur suggested.

“No,” Victoire said flatly.

“Victoire why are you being like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like you don’t care.” Fleur said.

“Of course I care! How could I not? I just don’t like people forcing themselves to wish me a happy birthday when I can see the hurt in their eyes. Today will never be a happy day. Even if it is my birthday.” Victoire said.

“Victoire-“

“No Mama. It’s the same thing every year. Everyone gives me presents and then they are sad the rest of the day. I’m not blaming them for being said how can I? I just don’t want people feeling sympathy for me on my birthday. Part of me wishes I was never born on May 2nd. I should’ve been born on May 1st or May 3rd. Or perhaps.” Victoire’s voice was breaking and tears were rolling down her cheeks. “Perhaps I should never have been born at all.”

Not wanting to hear her mother’s reply, Victoire turned on her heels and stormed out of the Great Hall. The tears were rolling thicker and faster down her cheeks.

“Hey Victoire! Happy-“ Her Aunt Hermione began to speak.

“Yeah yeah happy birthday, whatever.” Victoire said before she walked out into the Hogwarts courtyard. She didn’t know where exactly she was going, anywhere that was as far away from the Great Hall as possible. Anywhere where she felt that she wouldn’t suffocate in tears and tissues.

Victoire marched down towards the Black Lake where she sunk down to the floor in tears. Today was not a happy day at all. Victoire picked up various stones on the ground and threw them into the Lake as hard as she could. She was sure she heard the noise of the Giant Squid but even that wasn’t enough to evaporate her anger. Victoire must’ve been sat at the Lake for ages before she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye sit down next to her.

“If you’ve come to wish me a happy birthday, you’re wasting your time.” Victoire huffed.

Uncle Harry laughed a little. “Actually I’ve come out here to wallow in my feelings the same as you if that’s ok.”

“Really?” Victoire asked. “You’re not needed in the Great Hall?”

“Between you and me, the presence in the Great Hall can be a little overwhelming after a few years.” 

“That’s hard to believe.”

“I know how you must be feeling today.” Uncle Harry turned to her.

“Do you?” Victoire asked.

“A day that is supposed to be happy for you overshadowed by something else? I used to think the same at Halloween funnily enough. A day most people get to dress up in scary costumes was always overshadowed by my parents’ deaths.” Uncle Harry said.

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate today. I always will.”

“Well that’s good. It is your birthday.” Uncle Harry joked.

“I just don’t want people forcing fake smiles on me. I’ll always understand today will be sad and not everyone will be happy. I just wish some smiles were genuine.” Victoire said, tears swimming in her eyes.

“You know, the day you were born, your mother went into labour in the middle of the Great Hall. That day, your Uncle George cracked a joke. That’s what you did the day you were born. You put a smile back on his face. And since then, he hasn’t stopped joking. We all knew it would take something or someone special. That special someone was you.”

“Not even Aunt Angelina?” Victoire smiled a little.

“Ah well, Aunt Angelina just winds Uncle George up in the best way. And vice versa.” Uncle Harry said. “Do you remember the day I came to talk to your Defence Against the Dark Arts class last year?” When Victoire nodded, Uncle Harry continued, “every time I mentioned something that happened during the Battle, I looked at you. Because you are the reason I ended him. You’re the reason light ended the darkness.”

“How exactly?”

“The day you were born was not just the happiest day of your parents’ lives, but all of our lives. We had lived in a world full of darkness for such a long time, it was difficult to believe there was any light at the end of it. The first ball of light was his defeat and the second was you being born. You helped us realise that May 2nd was fought for all the right reasons.”

Victoire hadn’t realised just how significant her being born was until now. “I hope Mama didn’t give birth in the Great Hall.” Victoire laughed a little.

Uncle Harry laughed. “If she had, we would’ve all learnt some new French words. Now are you coming back to the Great Hall? If you do, I’ll sneak you a bit of the memorial cake. I don’t think McGonagall will notice a piece missing for the birthday girl.”

“Yeah ok.” Victoire stood up and headed back to the Great Hall. On the way, she stopped to grab her birthday presents, a smile on her face. She had sat through many May 2nd memorial services, every single one of them the same but a simple conversation with her Uncle Harry had made her realise how proud she should be of May 2nd.

She was now proud to share a birthday with a day that was significant in the Wizarding world. And from now on, she was going to make sure everyone else knew it.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little piece to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts


End file.
